Any team with Lionel Messi in it must be in with a shot of glory, and the Barcelona star has plenty of useful team-mates

Argentina's rich World Cup history means that they are always viewed as contenders, but this summer sees the Albiceleste with their best chance in years as Lionel Messi leads them into a tournament on their own doorstep.

Much will be made of their phenomenal frontline, a combination of the craft and guile of Sergio Aguero, Gonzalo Higuain's knack for goalscoring and Lionel Messi's pure Messi-ness. But if things don't go so well then Alejandro Sabella will be crucified for the exclusion of Carlos Tevez, a justified move for the balance of the squad but a decision that will only be accepted by Carlitos' adoring public if Argentina succeed.

Sabella took over a bit of a mess in 2011 when Sergio Batista made a complete mess of the Copa America on home soil, and he set about building a side for the long term. Initially his reign was viewed as overly cautious and too reliant on the players he trusted from his time as Estudiantes manager - much like it would have been in England had Harry Redknapp got the England job and installed Michael Dawson and Scott Parker in the team. But gradually his side evolved into a cohesive unit, lethal in attack and, at the very least, functional in defence.

Having experimented with a variety of systems, Argentina also boast a tactical flexibility that few others at this summer's tournament can - something that may prove crucial in the latter stages.

But ultimately, the Albiceleste's tournament will have one narrative, and that is of Lionel Messi. Win and he is cemented as one of the all-time greats of the game in everybody's eyes. Fail and the soul-searching in Argentina will be considerable.

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Up for the challenge: Argentina will challenge in Brazil

Key players

Angel Di Maria – The tireless midfielder has had a superb season in an evolving role at Real Madrid and is the principle link man between Argentina’s serviceable back six and their incredible front three. If he plays well, they do.

Javier Mascherano – The Barcelona man is rarely used in midfield these days but will need all his defensive nous to shield the Argentine weakness – their back four. His anchor role is crucial in this side.

Rising star

There really aren’t that many young players in this squad, in fact the youngest is 24-year-old Marcos Rojo at left-back. With the team ahead of him he only needs to be solid and competent in order for Argentina to succeed, but previous showings haven’t been great. If you want a player that may shoot to greater fame then Federico Fernandez has a big role to play at the heart of the defence, but he’s still 25!

Form

Pretty good. A rotated side played against Romania in March to give fringe players a chance to stake their claim and after a drab 0-0 draw it is fair to say that no-one did. They’ve not had a real test since playing Italy in Rom back in August and they won 2-1, even without Messi.

Expectation

Win it.

Quirky fact

Lionel Messi will be 26 at this World Cup, the same age as Diego Maradona when he inspired Argentina to victory at World Cup 1986. (Spoiler: This won’t be the last time parallels are drawn between these two this summer).